rudimentary
adjective
ru·di·men·ta·ry
ˌrü-də-ˈmen-tə-rē 
-ˈmen-trē
1
: consisting in first principles : fundamental
had only a rudimentary formal education—
D. J. Boorstin
D. J. Boorstin2
: of a primitive kind
the equipment of these past empire-builders was rudimentary—A. J. Toynbee
A. J. Toynbee3
: very imperfectly developed or represented only by a vestige
the rudimentary tail of a hyrax
Examples of rudimentary in a Sentence
Because now, every schlemiel with a pair of mirrored sunglasses and a rudimentary grasp of the rules of poker thinks he can play cards with the pros.
—A. J. Jacobs, New York Times Book Review, 8 May 2005
Despite the rudimentary nature of its instruments—an octant, a chronometer and a level—the Lewis and Clark Expedition was a triumph for science and natural history.
—Daniel J. Boorstin, U.S. News & World Report, 11 July 1994
A few were hopeless imbeciles, unable to comprehend more than the rudimentary requirements of filling their bellies when food was placed before them …
—Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Monster Men, 1929
This class requires a rudimentary knowledge of human anatomy.
When baseball was in its rudimentary stages, different teams played by different rules.
Some insects have only rudimentary wings.
A. J. Jacobs, New York Times Book Review, 8 May 2005
Despite the rudimentary nature of its instruments—an octant, a chronometer and a level—the Lewis and Clark Expedition was a triumph for science and natural history.
—Daniel J. Boorstin, U.S. News & World Report, 11 July 1994
A few were hopeless imbeciles, unable to comprehend more than the rudimentary requirements of filling their bellies when food was placed before them …
—Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Monster Men, 1929
This class requires a rudimentary knowledge of human anatomy.
When baseball was in its rudimentary stages, different teams played by different rules.
Some insects have only rudimentary wings.
Recent Examples on the Web
The duo’s second feature builds on a bare-bones concept that feels more rudimentary than rustic much of the time, and yet, the filmmakers’ decisive presentation is enjoyable enough as an entrée served straight to streaming.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2024
The needs are rudimentary and immediate: water, food, power.
—Dylan Tupper Rupert, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2024
Meta is working on a cheaper, and presumably more rudimentary, version of holographic glasses to release to consumers at some unspecified time in the future.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2024
Still, the thought of actually taking something so rudimentary to the racetrack seems quite intimidating.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rudimentary 
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2024
The needs are rudimentary and immediate: water, food, power.
—Dylan Tupper Rupert, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2024
Meta is working on a cheaper, and presumably more rudimentary, version of holographic glasses to release to consumers at some unspecified time in the future.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2024
Still, the thought of actually taking something so rudimentary to the racetrack seems quite intimidating.
—Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rudimentary
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rudimentary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rudimentary
Cite this Entry
“Rudimentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rudimentary. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rudimentary
adjective
ru·di·men·ta·ry
ˌrüd-ə-ˈment-ə-rē
-ˈmen-trē
2
: very imperfectly developed or represented only by a small part compared to the fully developed form
a rudimentary tail
Medical Definition
rudimentary
adjective
ru·di·men·ta·ry
ˌrüd-ə-ˈment-ə-rē, -ˈmen-trē
: very imperfectly developed or represented only by a vestige
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